
Belongs within: Oppioidea.
Contains: Moritzoppia (Moritzoppia), Moritzoppia (Moritzoppiella), Berniniella (Berniniella).
The Oppiellinae are a group of oppioid oribatid mites with lamellar costulae on the prodorsum and a crista on the notogaster. Members include the cosmopolitan genus Oppiella, with characteristic humeral processes on the notogaster. These processes are absent in the genus Lauroppia, found in most parts of the world except the Ethiopian and Antarctic regions.
Berniniella is a genus of oppiid oribatid mites known from Eurasia and the Americas, characterised by a tridentate rostrum.
Moritzoppia is a genus of oppiid oribatid mites known from the Holarctic, Neotropical and Australian regions (Subías 2004).
Neotrichoppia is a Palaearctic genus of oppiid oribatid mites (Subías 2004).
Dissorhina is a genus of oppiid oribatid mites known from the Holarctic, Ethiopian and Neotropical regions, in which the rostral setae are borne on a small naso.
Neostrinatina mixoppia
Published 31 August 2018

Time for another oribatid. This is Neostrinatina mixoppia, a species described as the only member of its genus by S. Mahunka in 1978. It was described on the basis of two specimens from near Coban in the highlands of Guatemala. Neostrinatina belongs to the family Oppiidae, a group of often smaller oribatids with moniliform legs, and is a bit over a quarter of a millimetre in length. N. mixoppia noticeably differs from other oppiids in its long pectinate sensillus on either side of the prodorsum. The other dorsal setae are also particularly long and barbed. Other distinctive features of this species, according to Mahunka, are a pair of lateral teeth on the dorsosejugal suture (the junction between the prodorsum and the notogaster, or what one might think of as the ‘head’ and ‘body’ regions of the dorsum) that jut towards the sensilli, and an ‘enormous, spiniform excrescence’ projecting forwards from the anogenital region. I must admit, though, I’ve been trying to interpret Mahunka’s illustration of the ventral region of N. mixoppia and I’m still not entirely sure what this latter feature looks like. Like other oppiids, the prodorsum does not have the projecting lamellae found in many oribatid families; instead, N. mixoppia has a pair of branching costulae (thickened ridges). The legs each end in a single claw.

Oppiids are currently recognised as the most diverse family of oribatids with over 1000 known species, the greater number of these found in the tropics. Though the ecology of N. mixoppia itself is unknown, other oppiids feed on fungi. The single claws on the legs suggest a terrestrial habitat. As with many (if not most) oribatid groups, the relationships of oppiids are in great need of revision with many genera being arranged on the basis of potentially convergent characters. Mahunka himself recognised this in his description of N. mixoppia, expressing the opinion that it represented a ‘? mixture of at least three present day ” genera”‘. The number of dorsal setae suggested one genus, the dorsosejugal teeth suggested another. Perhaps one day we’ll know which is which.
Systematics of Oppiellinae
Characters (from Balogh & Balogh 1992): Lamellar costulae present, shorter than half length of prodorsum. Crista present. Setae c2 well developed. Setae ad1 in postanal position. Legs monodactyle.
<==OppiellinaeS04 |--Autoppia Golosova & Karppinen 1983S04 | `--*A. algicola Golosova & Karppinen 1983S04 |--Neostrinatina Mahunka 1979S04 | `--*N. mixoppia Mahunka 1979S04 |--Liacaroppia Subías & Rodríguez 1986S04 | `--*L. doryphoros (Balogh & Balogh 1983) [=Oppiella doryphoros]S04 |--Abchasiella Gordeeva & Tarba 1990S04 | `--*A. dentata Gordeeva & Tarba 1990S04 |--Kulievia Vasiliu & Ivan 1999S04 | `--*K. paradecipiens (Kulijev 1962) [=Oppia paradecipiens]S04 |--Pseudobrachioppiella Tseng 1982S04 | `--*P. ramosa Tseng 1982S04 |--Moritzoppia Subías & Rodríguez 1988S04 | |--M. (Moritzoppia)S04 | `--M. (Moritzoppiella)S04 |--Tuberoppia Golosova 1974S04 | |--*T. rotundata (Golososva 1970) [=Oppia rotundata]S04 | `--T. paradoxa Golosova 1980S04 |--Ptiloppia Balogh 1983S04 | |--*P. bulanovae (Hammer 1968) [=Oppiella bulanovae]S04 | `--P. lienhardi Mahunka 2001S04 |--Berniniella Balogh 1983S04 | |--B. (Berniniella)S04 | `--B. (Canaloppia Mahunka & Palacios-Vargas 1998)S04 | `--B. (*C.) borhidii Mahunka & Palacios-Vargas 1998S04 |--Elaphoppia Balogh 1983 [incl. Parasynoppia Aoki 1983]S04 | |--*E. quadripilosa (Balogh 1961) [=Oppia quadripilosa]S04 | |--E. lapelerii Balogh & Balogh 1983S04 | `--E. longisensillata (Aoki 1983)S04 [=*Parasynoppia longisensillataA83] |--Belloppia Hammer 1968S04 | |--*B. wallworki Hammer 1968S04 | |--B. beemanensis (Wallwork 1964) [=Oppia beemanensis]S04 | |--B. evansi Hammer 1968S04 | `--B. shealsi Hammer 1968S04 |--Tripiloppia Hammer 1968S04 | |--*T. aokii Hammer 1968S04 | |--T. dalenii Hammer 1968S04 | |--T. forsslundi Hammer 1968S04 | |--T. subiasi Balogh 1982S04 [incl. T. hammeri Balogh in Subias & Balogh 1989 (n. n.)CH98] | |--T. tarraswahlbergi Hammer 1968S04 | `--T. traegardhi Hammer 1968S04 |--Hypogeoppia Subías 1981S04 | |--*H. terricola Subías 1981S04 | | |--H. t. terricola [incl. H. festoneata Moraza & Moreno 1988]S04 | | `--H. t. salmanticensis Morell 1987S04 | |--H. dungeri Schwalbe 1995S04 | |--H. exempta (Mihelčič 1958) [=Oppia exempta]S04 | |--H. hypogea (Paoli 1908) [=Dameosoma hypogeum]S04 | `--H. perezinigoi Subías & Arillo 1996S04 |--Neotrichoppia Subías & Iturrondobeitia 1980AS96 | |--*N. (Neotrichoppia) pseudoconfinis Subías & Iturrondobeitia 1980S04 | |--N. (Ancestroppia Subías & Rodríguez 1986)S04 | | `--N. (*A.) berninii Subías & Rodríguez 1986S04 | `--N. (Confinoppia Subías & Rodríguez 1986)S04 | |--N. (*C.) confinis (Paoli 1908)S04 (see below for synonymy) | | |--N. c. confinisS04 | | `--N. c. tenuiseta Subías & Rodríguez 1986S04 | |--N. (C.) adanata Iturrondobeitia & Saloña 1988S04 | |--N. (C.) gibber (Mahunka 1982) [=Oppia gibber]S04 | |--N. (C.) hauseri (Mahunka & Mahunka-Papp 2000) [=Lauroppia hauseri]S04 | |--N. (C.) variabilis Iturrondobeitia & Subías 1981S04 | `--N. (C.) zushi (Aoki 1984) [=Oppiella zushi]S04 |--Dissorhina Hull 1916 [incl. Cosmoppia Balogh 1983]S04 | |--D. ornata (Oudemans 1900)S04 (see below for synonymy) | | |--D. o. ornataS04 (see below for synonymy) | | |--D. o. corniculata (Paoli 1908)S04 [=Dameosoma tricarinatum corniculatumS04, Di. tricarinata corniculataL87b] | | |--D. o. globosa (Paoli 1908) [=Dameosoma tricarinatum globosum]S04 | | |--D. o. peloponnesiaca (Mahunka 1974) [=Oppia peloponnesiaca]S04 | | `--D. o. tunisica (Mahunka 1980) [=Oppia tunisica]S04 | |--D. bolei (Tarman 1958) [=Oppia bolei]S04 | |--D. bulganensis Bayartogtokh 1999S04 | |--D. longipilosa (Kunst 1958) [=Oppia ornata longipilosa]S04 | | |--D. l. longipilosaS04 | | `--D. l. carpatica (Gardeeva 1991) [=Cosmoppia carpatica]S04 | |--D. neotropicalis Mahunka 1998S04 | |--D. nudaSC19 | |--D. paleokrasicaSC19 | |--D. signata (Schwalbe 1989) [=Oppiella signata]S04 | `--D. tricarinatoides (Dubinina, Sosnina et al. 1966) [=Oppia tricarinatoides]S04 |--Oppiella Jacot 1937S04 | | i. s.: O. bicarinata (Paoli 1908)S96 | | O. maritimaW91 | | |--O. m. maritimaW91 | | `--O. m. acuminataW91 | | O. minutissimaRZ96 | | O. nasutaSC19 | | O. obsoleta (Paoli 1908)L85 [=O. fallax var. obsoletaSL71] | | O. ornataSD96 | | O. splendensSC19 | | O. subpectinata [=Oppia subpectinata]B-P91 | |--O. (Oppiella)S04 | | |--O. (O.) nova (Oudemans 1902)S04 (see below for synonymy) | | |--O. (O.) baburini Rjabinin 1979S04 | | |--O. (O.) besucheti Mahunka & Mahunka-Papp 2000S04 | | |--O. (O.) neonominata Subías 2004 [=O. distincta Rjabinin 1989 non Vasiliu & Calugar 1981]S04 | | |--O. (O.) primorica (Golosova 1969) [=Oppia primorica]S04 | | `--O. (O.) propinqua Mahunka & Mahunka-Papp 2000S04 | `--O. (Perspicuoppia Pérez-Íñigo 1971)S04 | |--O. (*P.) perspicua (Mihelčič 1956) [=Oppia perspicua]S04 | |--O. (P.) minidentata (Subías 1977) [=Perspicuoppia minidentata]S04 | `--O. (P.) rara Ivan & Vasiliu 1997S04 `--Lauroppia Subías & Mínguez 1986S04 |--*L. fallax (Paoli 1908)S04 (see below for synonymy) |--L. articristata (Aoki 1988) [=Oppiella articristata]S04 |--L. baetica Arillo & Subías 1996S04 |--L. breviseta Vasiliu & Ivan 1999S04 |--L. carniolica (Tarman 1958) [=Oppia carniolica]S04 |--L. commutata (Gordeeva & Grishina 1991) [=Moritziella commutata]S04 |--L. compositocarinata (Mihelčič 1958) [=Oppia compositocarinata]S04 |--L. decempectinata (Fujikawa 1986) [=Mahunkella decempectinata]S04 |--L. dentata (Golosova & Karppinen 1985) [=Oppia dentata]S04 |--L. denticulata (Grishina 1980) (see below for synonymy)S04 |--L. distincta (Vasiliu & Calugar 1981) [=Oppiella distincta]S04 |--L. doris (Pérez-Íñigo 1978) [=Oppia doris]S04 |--L. editae (Mahunka & Mahunka-Papp 2002) [=Oppiella editae]S04 |--L. falcata (Paoli 1908) [=Dameosoma falcatum]S04 | |--L. f. falcataS04 | `--L. f. marginedentata (Strenzke 1951) [=Oppia marginedentata]S04 |--L. feideri Vasiliu & Ivan 1999S04 |--L. fissurata (Hammer 1952)AS96 [=Oppia fissurataS04] |--L. getica (Vasiliu & Calugar 1981) [=Oppia getica]S04 |--L. lebedevi (Rjabinin 1975) [=Oppia lebedevi]S04 |--L. maritima (Willmann 1928) [=Dameosoma falcatum maritimum]S04 | |--L. m. maritimaS04 | |--L. m. acuminata (Strenzke 1951)S04 [=Oppia maritima acuminataS04, B80] | `--L. m. carinthiaca (Mihelčič 1963) [=Oppia carinthiaca]S04 |--L. motasi Vasiliu & Ivan 1999S04 |--L. neerlandica (Oudemans 1900)L87a |--L. notabilis (Golosova & Karppinen 1983) [=Oppia notabilis]S04 |--L. obscura Mahunka & Mahunka-Papp 2000S04 |--L. orientalis (Wen & Bu 1988) [=Belloppia orientalis]S04 |--L. quadrituberculata (Mahunka 1987) [=Hypogeoppia quadrituberculata]S04 |--L. similifallax Subías & Minguez 1986S04 |--L. tenuipectinata Subías & Rodríguez 1988S04 |--L. translamellata (Willmann 1923)L96 `--L. trapezoida (Grishina 1981) [=Oppiella trapezoida]S04
Dissorhina ornata (Oudemans 1900)S04 [=Eremaeus ornatusS04, Cosmoppia ornataBA85; incl. Notaspis splendens Michael 1888 non Oppia splendens Koch 1841S04, *Dissorhina splendensS04]
Dissorhina ornata ornata (Oudemans 1900)S04 [incl. Dameosoma captator Hull 1915S04, Di. captatorL87b, Oribella captatorL87b, Oppia lignivora Jacot 1939S04, Dameosoma tricarinatum Paoli 1908S04, Di. tricarinataL87b, Da. vetula Hull 1914S04, Di. vetulaL87b, Oppia vetulaeL87b]
Lauroppia denticulata (Grishina 1980) [=Oppia denticulata non Belba denticulata Canestrini & Canestrini 1882 (not preoc. if in dif. gen.)]S04
*Lauroppia fallax (Paoli 1908)S04 [=Damaeosoma fallaxS04, Autogneta fallaxL87b; incl. Oppia aligarhiensis Kardar 1976S04, Oppiella dubia Hammer 1962S04]
Neotrichoppia (*Confinoppia) confinis (Paoli 1908)S04 [=Dameosoma confineS04, N. (Ancestroppia) confinisBB92, Oppia confinisBA85, Oppiella confinisBA85]
Oppiella (Oppiella) nova (Oudemans 1902)S04 [=Eremaeus novusS04, Oppia novaS75; incl. Oppiella aegyptiaca Elbadry & Nasr 1974S04, Oppiella corrugata apicalis Jacot 1937S04, Oppiella chistyakovi Rjabinin 1975S04, Dameosoma corrugatum Berlese 1904S04, Autogneta corrugtaL87b, Oppia corrugataCH98, *Oppiella corrugataS04, Dameosoma corrugatum intralamellatum Thamdrup 1932S04, D. krygeri Trägardh 1931S04, Oppiella orientata Rjabinin 1975S04, Oppiella nova palustris Laskova 1980S04, Oppia rossica Bulanova-Zachvatkina 1964S04, Notaspis sculptilis Warburton & Pearce 1905S04, Autogneta sculptilisL87b, Oppiella corrugata squarrosa Jacot 1937S04, Oppia neerlandica sumatrensis Willmann 1931S04, Oppiella nova var. sumatrensisH70, Dameosoma uliginosum Willmann 1919S04, Oppia uliginosaCH98, Oppia washburni Hammer 1952S04]
*Type species of generic name indicated
References
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[AS96] Arillo, A., & L. S. Subías. 1996. Los Oppiellinae en el sur de España: géneros Lauroppia, Moritzoppia, Neotrichoppia (Confinoppia) y Oppiella. Descripción de Lauroppia baetica sp. n. (Acari, Oribatida, Oppiidae). Miscellania Zoologica 19 (2): 53–66.
[BB92] Balogh, J., & P. Balogh. 1992. The Oribatid Mites Genera of the World vol. 1. Hungarian Natural History Museum: Budapest.
[B-P91] Behan-Pelletier, V. M. 1991. Observations on genital papillae of pycnonotic Brachypylina (Acari: Oribatida). Acarologia 32 (1): 71–78.
[B80] Bernini, F. 1980. Notulae oribatologicae XXIV. Gli Acari Oribatei di alcune piccole grotte del Senese. Redia 63: 359–405.
[BA85] Bernini, F., & R. Arcidiacono. 1985. Notulae oribatologicae XXXVI. A catalogue of the Sicilian oribatids (Acarida, Oribatida). Animalia 12 (1–3): 165–205.
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[RZ96] Russell, D. J., U. Zeller, M. Kratzmann & G. Alberti. 1996. The mite fauna of continental sand dunes in the Upper Rhine Valley, Germany. In: Mitchell, R., D. J. Horn, G. R. Needham & W. C. Welbourn (eds) Acarology IX vol. 1. Proceedings pp. 75–80. Ohio Biological Survey: Columbus (Ohio).
[SC19] Schaefer, I., & T. Caruso. 2019. Oribatid mites show that soil food web complexity and close aboveground-belowground linkages emerged in the early Paleozoic. Communications Biology 2: 387.
[S96] Schatz, H. 1996. Oribatid mites (Oribatida) in alpine dry meadows (Austria, central Alps). In: Mitchell, R., D. J. Horn, G. R. Needham & W. C. Welbourn (eds) Acarology IX vol. 1. Proceedings pp. 633–635. Ohio Biological Survey: Columbus (Ohio).
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[SD96] Seniczak, S., J. Dabrowski, A. Klimek & S. Kaczmarek. 1996. The mites associated with young Scots pine forests polluted by a copper smelting works in Glogow, Poland. In: Mitchell, R., D. J. Horn, G. R. Needham & W. C. Welbourn (eds) Acarology IX vol. 1. Proceedings pp. 573–574. Ohio Biological Survey: Columbus (Ohio).
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